About The Band

Greg Grasa (Lead vocals/rhythm guitar)

Armed with a strong, versatile voice and his trusty Taylor guitar, Greg has been a regular on the local acoustic scene for the past 20 years. He’s been the lead singer for The Buskers since the group’s inception in 1994. Prior to forming the Buskers, Greg established himself as a solo act, and he still does a considerable amount of solo gigs throughout the central PA area. The expanded Buskers’ lineup allows Greg to explore more of his musical tastes, outside of the singer-songwriter genre that is the staple of his solo work. Across an eclectic repertoire that features Tex-Mex, Celtic, Cajun, blues, soul, Americana, and outlaw country, Greg vocally captures the accents and flavors of these various styles as the Buskers deliver a high-energy mix of musical grooves. Through two decades on stage, Greg hasn’t lost any of his passion for performing. Whether it’s a gig at a local bar for a handful of patrons, or for a festival crowd of hundreds, it’s always evident that he loves to sing and play, and relishes every opportunity to make music with his friends, both old and new.

Tom “Woody” Pfenninger (Bass, lead guitar and backing vocals)

Woody was first exposed to music as a child, listening to his grandmother, a classically trained pianist, play the great masters on her grand piano. Later as a teenager in the 60's it was his uncle, who played guitar, that literally "struck a chord" with him. Listening to his uncle picking out Scotty Moore licks from Elvis' records on his Fender Jaguar, man....Woody was hooked! He played his first "gig" in 1966...payed $4. From then until present day, he has played everything from psychedelic rock n roll, blues, roots, country, German / Austrian folk music, you name it..he's played it. For fun, for love, sometimes for money. Woody's simple philosophy is that when music comes straight from the heart, it goes straight to the heart. ...Listen....what's that sound?

Ron Malec (Mandolin, backing vocals)

A graphic designer by trade, Ron has expanded his artistic horizons to include a strong appreciation of acoustic string music. His diverse musical taste runs the gamut from bluegrass to zydeco and everything in between and his intuitive mandolin playing adds a new and welcome dimension to The Buskers' repertoire. Originally from the NYC area, Ron brings a quick wit and energetic stage presence to The Buskers' persona.

Tom Markow (Accordion/Button Box)

After playing the “piano” accordion in the musical tradition of his beloved German heritage for most of his life, Tom eventually added the “button box’’ to his instrumental arsenal and began to explore the stew of sounds and styles that a diatonic button accordion can conjure. These include, of course, the infectious grooves of Tex-Mex, Cajun, Celtic and Zydeco. Tom’s intuitive ability to capture the accents and nuances of those grooves has spiced up the Buskers’ sets considerably. When Tom joined the Buskers, he already was an established performer within the regional German ethnic community. In 1997, he formed the Immergrün Trio, along with Reese Bookmiller and Nancy Pearce. With the addition of the Buskers’ Woody Pfenninger a few years ago, the group now performs as the Immergrün Musikanten. (Evergreen Musicians). Tom met the rest of the Buskers through Woody, and it soon became clear to all involved that Tom had a great, natural ear and a real feel for the various genres that the group wanted to incorporate into their eclectic mix of material.

Don Nichols (Blues harp)

From the sugar cane fields of Hawaii, to the jungles and beaches of Thailand, to the desert sand of Saudi Arabia, to the scenic towns of Lancaster County, Don has found scores of musicians eager to bury themselves alive with him in the joys and sorrows of the blues. As his career in education has taken him to far-flung locales, he has learned that music truly is the thread that binds us all together, no matter how far from home we may roam. With the Buskers, Don gets to play not only the blues, but also a little country, a bit of Tex-Mex, folk tunes, roots music, and plenty of good old rock ‘n’ roll. The eclectic mix of the band presents him with challenges as he takes his harp into uncharted realms, often with surprising results.

Jere Groft (Percussion)

Jere has been keeping the beat for as long as he can remember. His lifelong passion for percussion has led to an accomplished performing and teaching career based in Lancaster but extending over the years to such far-flung locales as New Mexico, England and Ireland. Currently, Jere is on the faculty of the music department at Lancaster Country Day School, and also is a resident teacher at Drums Etc. in Lancaster. As a performer, he is not only one of The Buskers, but also sits in with other area artists. With 20-plus years of private study on his resume, Jere has earned an undisputed reputation as the most versatile drummer on the local scene. His talents extend far beyond the drum set. He is proficient on an array of percussive instruments, including congas, bongos, djembes, cajon, UDU, bodhran, timbales, hand cymbals, washboard, shakers, and spoons. Consequently, he’s comfortable and adept playing in a variety of genres.

The list of local bands that Jere has been a part of over the past two decades is a long one. The Buskers are proud to be the latest in that long line to benefit from his big beat.